Sectional endless screen conveyer



March 26, 1935. A. c. SARGENT SECTIONAL ENDLESS SCREEN CONVEYER Filed Sept. 12, 1935 g Fig.2.

I416 IS InvenTor. AHan C. SargenT ATTys.

- use in which it is Patented Mar. 26, 1935 7 UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE Allan 0.. Sargent, Graniteville, Mass, assignor to O. G. Sargents Sons Corporation, Graniteville,

Mass,

a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 12, 1933, Serial No. 689,084

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in endless screen conveyers such as are used in transporting materialsthrough a drier or for general desirable to support thearticles upon a perforated or reticulated conveyer.

One-0f the. objects of the invention is to provide an endless screen conveyer of the .type described comprising, chains formed. of .a series of corresponding long links pivotally connected together, supporting screen sections which may be readily assembled upon, or'removed from, said chains for repair orreplacement.

A. further object of the invention is to provide an endless chain conveyerhaving removable screensections of substantially the same length as the links .of the chain and pivotally connected together by detachable means coaxial with .the pivots which connect the ends of adjacent links together- A further object of the invention is to provide afsectional. endless screen conveyer. with rigid means. secured to and supporting the, edges ,of the screen, having means for detachably con necting. the screen sections to the links of the chain.

Theseand other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from. the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed outlin the claims.

' In the drawing: 1

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a sectional endless chain conveyer, embodying the invention, the screen being broken apart longitudinally to indicate that the screen may be made of any desired width;

Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view of the same; I

Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view of the same illustrating particularly the manner in which the screen sections are detachably connected to the links of the chainsof the conveyer. The section istaken on the line 3-3 Fig. 2.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in thedrawing comprises a pair of endless chains, each formed of complementary pairs of long linksl, 2, ands, l, the ends of adjacent links being connected together by stud shafts '5 upon which are mounted rollers 6 adapted to travel upon the usual tracks employed for supporting such screens and around the periphery of suitable drums or wheels for guiding anddriving the conveyer. I r

The screens which are supported upon these links may beof any suitable characten'but preferably comprise a series of longitudinally ex,- tending wires '7 and transverse wires 8 suitably spaced apart to provide a rectangular mesh. The screen sections desirably are, when in extended form, somewhat longer than the distance between the pivots of the links of the chain, and certain of the transverse Wires are omitted to provide longitudinal slots in the screen in proximity to the positions of the pivots of the links, thus forming a reticulated body section and reticulated end sections connected by said longitudinally extending wires. These portions of the longitudinally. extending wires are bent downwardly and inwardly to provide a series of parallel loops 9. The loops of adjacent sections of the screen are connected together by a pintle 10, which, desirably, is substantially in axial alinement with the pivotal connections of the links. a By the omission of a suitable number of transverse wires from the screen sections, as aforesaid, the pintle 10 forms in effect, when the screen sections are in assembled position. transverse connections presenting meshes at the connection substantially similar to those 'of" the body of the screen, thereby avoiding the likelihood of material carried by the screen being discharged through the space between the ends "of adjacent screen sections. The reticulated end portions of the screen thus extend inwardly for a considerable distance beyond the loops through which the pintle passes and are then bent downwardly at an angle,-preferably substantially a right angle, to provide transverse strengthening members 11 for the end portions of the screen. Desirably, these strengthening members are reinforced by transverse metal strips which are secured to them. In the preferred construction illustrated, the reinforcing members comprise strips of sheet metal 12 which are folded midway of their widths toembrace the downwardly extending strengthening members and are secured to such members in any desirable manner as by rivets, soldering, or otherwise.

The pintles thus connecting the ends of adjacent sections together can be readily removed by lifting the ends of the-screen section sufficiently to enable the pintles to be drawn outwardly over the tops of the links of the chain. One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide means adapted to permit the screen sections to be readily removed from the chains after the pintles connecting adjacent sections have been withdrawn. This is accomplished by providing supporting members of somewhat shorterlength than the screen sections secured to and supporting or reinforcing the screen sections with means for detachably connecting said members to the links of the chain at distances somewhat remote from the ends of the respective links.

The supporting members are so located as to position the upper surface of the screen sections in the pitch line of the chain. This makes the engaging point of the edges of the section coincide with the pivotal point of the conveying chain so that the construction of the ends of the adjacent sections is not important with the exception that they should overlap or intersect in such manner as in effect to produce a continuous screen surface.

Any suitable supporting members may be thus employed. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated, these side members are of angle bar like construction, comprising a vertical flange 13 and a horizontal flange 14 of relatively narrow width compared to that of the screen underlying and connected to the edge portions of the screen. Desirably the vertical flanges of the side members are provided with bosses 15 having cylindrical sockets to receive studs 16 secured to and extending inwardly from the inner links 2 and 3 respectively of the chain at such distance below the pitch line of the chain that the upper surface of the screen will be positioned in the pitch line of the chain.

Desirably one or more transverse girders, such as metal bars 17, having end flanges 18, connect the side members intermediate of their length and extend upwardly sufficiently to enable the screen to rest upon the upper edge of such girder.

Suitable guide members may be provided to prevent the material carried by the screen from escaping over the edges thereof. In the preferred construction illustrated, vertical sheet metal side walls 19 are provided to retain the material upon the screen and have their lower edges 20 flanged outwardly and resting upon the screen coincident with and above the horizontal flanges 14 of the side members.

The flanges 20 desirably are secured to the flanges 14 by screws 21 passing through them and the edges of the screen are anchored in the flanges 14. One end of each side wall 19 extends beyond the pivotal connection of the screen section and presents a curved edge 22 and overlaps the end of the next adjacent side section, the overlapped portion 23 of such adjacent section being offset sufliciently to cause the walls of the section to present a substantially continuous, flatvertical inner surface.

The endless screen is mounted upon the usual type of frame, (not shown), having suitable guides for the rollers 6 which support the screen and angular drums or wheels adjacent to the ends of the guides over which the screen is passed, and which are driven in any suitable manner.

By reason of the construction above described a rigid, endless carrier is provided which is formed of easily detachable sections and which, when assembled, presents, in effect, a continuous screen surface having substantially uniform mesh throughout its entire length. It is of sufficient flexibility to pass readily over the usual angular drums or pulleys which are employed in conveyers of this character, and constitutes a material improvement in the art of endless carriage.

It will be understood that the particular construction disclosed herein is of an illustrative character and not restrictive of the meaning or scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A sectional endless screen conveyer comprising side chains, each formed of a series of corresponding long links pivotally connected together, a series of screen sections having body portions of substantially the same length as the corresponding links of said chains with the upper surfaces lying in the pitch line of the chains and detachably hinged together by removable pintlcs normally located in axial alinement with the pivots of said links, rigid side members of somewhat shorter length than said body portions secured to and supporting the edge portions of said screen body and having a pair of stud-receiving sockets intermediate of their lengths and lo cated at substantial distances from the respective pivots of said links, and studs upon said links extending into said sockets adapted to be disenengaged therefrom by spreading apart the leads of the chains engaged by said studs, thereby enabling said screen sections to be readily assembled, removed, or replaced.

2. A sectional endless screen conveyer comprising side chains, each formed of a series of complementary pairs of long links, pivotally connected together, the rollers mounted upon the pivotal connections, a series of screen sections formed of longitudinal and transverse wires suitably spaced apart to form a screen of reticulated mesh of substantially the length of said links with the end portions of said screen sections reversely bent to form loops adapted to overlap similar loops of the adjacent screen sections, means flexibly connecting the loops of the adjacent ends 01 said screens in axial alinement with the pivots of said links, side members of angle-bar like construction shorter than said links having their horizontal flanges secured to and supporting the edge portions of said screen sections and provided at distances from their respective ends with bosses having stud receiving sockets, studs projecting from the inner links complementary to and detachably engaging said sockets and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by spreading apart the leads of the chain, thereby enabling the screen sections to be easily assembled, removed, or replaced.

3. A sectional endless screen conveyer comprising side chains formed of a series of complementary pairs of long links pivotally connected together, rollers mounted upon the pivotal connections of said links, a series of screen sections of longitudinal and transverse wires suitably spaced apart to form a screen of reticulated mesh of substantially the same length as said links and reversely bent at the ends to form hinge loops adapted to overlap similar loops of the adjacent sections, means flexibly connecting the overlapping loops of adjacent sections, rigid side mem- 1 bers of angle-bar like construction shorter than said links secured to and supporting the edge portions of said screen sections, and complementary studs and sockets upon the said supporting members and the inner links of said chain detachably connecting the screen sections to said links and so located as to position the upper surface of the screen section in the pitch line of the chains.

4. A sectional endless screen conveyer comprising side chains formed of corresponding pairs of long links of uniform length, a series of independent screen sections substantially equal in length to the respective pairs of long links and of a Width determined by the distances between said chains, metallic supporting and re-enforcing members extending longitudinally of and secured to the sides of each screen section and terminating short of the ends of said sections, and a plurality of complementary stud-receiving sockets and studs on said supporting and reenforcing members and links so located as to position the upper surface of the screen in the pitch line of the chains detachably connecting the screen sections to the links at substantial distances from the ends thereof.

5. A screen section for an endless conveyer having side chains formed of corresponding pairs of long links comprising a screen having a length substantially equal to the length of the chain links and a Width substantially equal to the distance between said chains, rigid re-enforcing members of angle bar like construction having horizontal flanges extending along and secured to the side edges of said screen section and terminating short of the ends thereof and provided with sockets adapted to receive complementary studs on the links of said chains located respectively at substantial distances from the pivotal connections of successive links.

6. A screen section for an endless conveyer having side chains formed of corresponding pairs of long links comprising a screen having a length substantially equal to the length of the chain links and a width substantially equal to the distance between said chains, rigid re-enforcing members of angle bar like construction having horizontal flanges extending along and secured to the side edges of said screen section and terminating short of the ends thereof and provided With sockets adapted to receive complementary studs on the links of said chains located respectively at substantial distances from the pivotal connections of successive links, and a cross girder secured at its ends to said re-enforcing members intermediate of the length thereof extending transversely of the screen and having its upper edge engaging the lower surface of the screen.

ALLAN C. SARGENT. 

